VARANASI: Even as the Uttar Pradesh police claimed that they are ‘’hunting’’ for the minister and SP strongman Gayatri Prajapati, accused of raping a woman and attempting gang rape on her daughter—a non-bailable warrant has been issued against him and six other persons. His passport too has been revoked for four weeks to prevent the minister from fleeing the country
With each passing day, Prajapati is becoming a major embarrassment for the Samajwadi Party with all rival parties, particularly the BJP, accusing Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav of protecting him. The minister is ‘’not to be seen’’ since February 27.
Police on Saturday issued a lookout notice against Prajapati following reports that he may try to flee the country to evade arrest.
Following this, even the Immigration authorities across all international ports were put on high alert. Sources said that even the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), guarding Uttar Pradesh’s border with Nepal, had also been alerted amid reports that the minister could sneak out of the country into Nepal. Earlier in the morning, raids were conducted at two places—one in Lucknow and the other in Kanpur—for Prajapati.
In Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Akhilesh Yadav saying he was protecting Prajapati.
Modi said that despite the minor girl crying for justice, Akhilesh Yadav and the UP police were bent upon protecting Prajapati. “A case has been lodged against him (but) the chief minister went to campaign for him while he (Gayatri) was present there...Now, the police cannot trace him,” Modi said. “A daughter is seeking justice and the chief minister is shielding the gunehgaar (guilty)...What bigger blot can there be than this that in Uttar Pradesh when a buffalo goes missing, the government runs to find it,” he added.
The UP police registered an FIR against the SP politician who continues to elude them, for allegedly gangraping the woman and molesting her minor daughter with his aides. The FIR was filed recently following a directive of the Supreme Court after the alleged victim approached it.
The victim’s family lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police alleging that a UP police officer, who had recorded the minor girl’s statement, had threatened to kill them in a fake encounter. The complaint was filed at the Hauz Khas police station against a DSP rank woman official.